More Than Meets the Eye
by Zoso and Capella
Summary: Mara and Auriga are cousins and have been competing with each other ever since they were born. Now that they both are hired at Cair Paravel, will they be able to learn to become friends... and survive their attraction to High King Peter? PeterOC, EdmundOC
1. Mara

Chapter One: Mara

I always considered myself lucky to have a horse. I was one of the few in my village that actually did. But I loved her more than anything and had worked hard to finally have enough money to earn her.

I guess my love for hoses had stemmed from my uncle, my father's elder brother, who was one of the grooms at Cair Paravel, the castle where the four rulers of Narnia lived. (We lived in Archenland, a small country on the border of Narnia.) Whenever he visited when I was a little girl, he would tell me stories of the beautiful royal horses that he took care of at the palace, and as I grew older he even taught me to ride his horse, Storm. Now, however, he was getting older and he complained of his aching joints or back whenever I begged him to go for a ride with me. So for now, it was just me and my horse, Jeanne.

As I was an only child, and Jeanne was a Talking Beast, she was one of the few people that I could actually hold a conversation with. However, even our time together was being restricted as my jobs and responsibilities around the house increased with my age. My parents were even urging me to get a job, a subject I tried to avoid talking about.

Today was one such day, when my mother and father were talking with me about my future, and I was feeling particularly frustrated. They pleaded with me, but I was too stubborn to budge.

"Mara, dear, you know that there isn't much chance for you to get married. I don't know if your father and I could afford the dowry and take care of ourselves. Unless you want to live with us for the rest of your life, you're going to need to get a job," my mother said in her gentle tone of voice. We weren't that poor of a family; we lived a comfortable life. But we didn't have enough money for any frivolities... like my marriage.

"I don't mind living with you! I want to help you," I said rather sharply.

"We're perfectly fine on our own, whatever you might think," my father, who never took anything seriously, said with an amused expression on his face.

"Well," I said, giving up with arguing with them, and instead resorted to using logic, "what sort of job would you suggest?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest.

"Well, Mara, we haven't really thought about that yet, but-" my mother began.

I interrupted her. "All right then. Once you find a suitable job for me, we can resume this discussion," I said hastily and went outside. I knew that I was being impudent, but I really didn't want to continue that conversation, especially the part about not being able to get married. I would never dream of troubling my parents, and I knew that they could never afford it, so I tried not to think of it, but I really didn't want to spend the rest of my life alone.

Jeanne, who had been grazing near the back of our home, lifted her head as she saw me coming. She must have noticed my flustered expression, as she shook her mane and trotted towards me.

"Pestering you about the job again, aren't they?" she asked, meaning my parents. I nodded, and stroked her neck.

"I hate to disagree with them, but I really can't stand to leave home," I told Jeanne. "I really don't think I have anything to offer to the world besides caring for my parents. They aren't as young as they used to be, and... this village is all I know," I said with a sigh.

"I sympathize with you, Mara, however," Jeanne began, then stopped, as if debating whether she should continue or not. "Don't you think you should try to escape the familiarity of your life and try to experience something new?"

My expression grew flat. "I... I suppose I would like to. But it's just not the prudent thing for me to do right now." Jeanne tossed her mane again, this time somewhat exasperatedly. Suddenly her ears pricked up and her head turned to the dirt path that passed in front of our house. I looked in that direction and saw a sight that instantly cheered me up.

"Uncle!" I shouted, running up the path to meet him. I hadn't seen him in such a long time. As he reached the house and dismounted Storm, he grinned. The edges of his eyes crinkled.

"Hello Mara," he said, embracing me.

However, my happy mood was instantly dampened when I saw who else had arrived at our home. Dismounting rather ungracefully from Storm's saddle was my cousin, Auriga.

Let me tell you something about Auriga. She is. Well. She's, in some terms, a lot of things I am not. She's very, very stunningly pretty. Long, waist length brown hair falling in soft waves, big blue eyes with ridiculously long lashes, beautiful pale skin, a nice figure, you name it-she had it. I, on the other hand, possessed less than desirable stick-straight brown hair; freckles and a dark complexion. I was tall and skinny and shaped like a straight line. She was, however, not nearly as close to horses as I was, my one satisfaction.

You see, boys, to say it crudely, line up for her. I think she has driven at least five men crazy. Fifteen wedding proposals already (there are only about twenty suitable men in our village...) and she doesn't even have a dowry.

I smiled stiffly at her, then turned back to my uncle.

"Come inside!" I said, leading him inside and conveniently forgetting Auriga, who was struggling to get her feet out of the stirrup. Jeanne snorted at me, but I ignored her. "You must be tired after your ride."

"Indeed," he responded tiredly. "I don't have boundless energy like certain nieces of mine," he teased.

As my mother and father saw him, they immediately stopped what they were doing to greet him. We didn't get many visitors, so my parents were happy for the company.

"How are you, brother?" my dad asked with a grin. "And there is the lovely Auriga," he said, beaming. I try not to be the petty type of girl who gets jealous easily. But it was just so hard when even your _parents _seem infatuated with someone and leave you in the dust.

"Actually, I have some good news and some bad news," my uncle answered.

"Oh dear," my mother said, frowning.

"No, no, you'll be happy about this, I promise," he said mischievously.

I was curious already. Uncle's good news was always exciting news from the palace or something. I loved his stories.

"I'll tell you the bad news first," he said. He paused for dramatic effect, a habit of my uncle's that was extremely vexing. "I have decided to retire from my position at Cair Paravel."

"What?" I shrieked. "You cannot be serious!" I was incredulous. But there was Uncle, grinning like a mad person. And Auriga, seated in a chair, her lips pursed bemusedly. This was immensely frustrating.

"What's the good news, then?" I asked him, trying to disguise the impatience in my voice.

"They're going to need a replacement for me, you know."

"...and?" I said, still not realizing what he was getting at.

"I thought you might be a good replacement for me, Mara," he said.

Oh.

Oh dear.

"I... I don't know..." I spluttered.

"Oh, this is such a wonderful opportunity," my mother said, a slight pleading tone in her voice. My father raised his eyebrows.

I sighed. "Are you sure you two will survive all on your lonesome?" I asked my parents wearily. They laughed and reassured me that they would be fine.

"Well?" my uncle asked expectantly.

"Of... of course I'll take it!" I said, stunned, but cheerful. My father put his hand on my shoulder.

"Great, Mara, I'm so proud of you," he said proudly. I positively inflated from the praise.

"But you haven't even heard the best part yet!" Auriga piped up from her chair. "I'm coming too! Not as a groom, of course. I'll be working as a librarian's assistant!" she said enthusiastically. Even though her tone was cheerful, I could see she wasn't very enthused with her job. I supposed that living among the royals would more than make up for it, however.

I harrumphed annoyedly. She didn't even need the job. I'm sure she was just doing it to live in the palace. All _she_ had to do was say yes to the rich lord's son who had asked her, though she had no dowry, and she and her dad would be set. But no. She made it hard for all of us...

Okay, do I sound a little, hmm, whiny? It's because we have a _long _history. She has always, always, been that perfect girl. No matter how great I am with horses, no matter how hard I work around the house, no matter how much my parents or my uncle beams and praises me, it _never_ makes it better when I hear the whispers, the comparisons, especially among the young men. Not only is she gorgeous, she's the perfect daughter. So _sweet_, so _kind_...to everyone but me, that pitiful little "horse girl."

"How wonderful!" my mom beamed, putting her arms around the both of us. I grimaced.

"Yes..." I muttered, "wonderful. Simply wonderful."


	2. Auriga

Chapter Two: Auriga

Our journey into Narnia was relatively easy, as my family and I lived right on the border between Narnia and Archenland. We were able to stop at our house before venturing into the next country. Needless to say, my mother was immensely happy that my father would be staying with her permanently, instead of at Cair Paravel, but was also sad that I would be leaving now.

"Is it too much to ask to live with both my husband and my daughter?" she had said with a wistful sigh. Still, she was happy for me and my new job.

Mara and I were both riding Jeanne. We decided that it would be better to leave Storm with my parents. This arrangement was slightly uncomfortable, as there wasn't enough room for both of us in the saddle, so we had to ride bareback. That, and Mara insisted on going at a pace that was far too quick for my liking. I didn't want to say anything, however, not because of pride, but out of politeness. Fortunately, Jeanne was very gracious about this and tried to convince Mara to make frequent stops. I suppose horses are more intuitive than we humans.

I had never been one for... rugged activities. I enjoyed the more ladylike vocations, such as embroidery or writing poetry, or even simply holding a nice conversation with a friend. I knew Mara thought this terribly boring of me. Perhaps that is why she rarely talked to me on the journey... she thought I would have nothing to say.

Once we arrived, I was stunned. Cair Paravel was a _really _imposing place. I mean, it's just _so_ huge! I knew that I would never be able to find my way around and would probably end up accidentally walking into the dungeons and getting locked in forever. I took a deep breath and looked over at Mara.

She looked just as intimidated as I was, but her intimidation was more of a 'I'm ready to conquer this adventure!' expression than a 'I'm going to get lost and die' one, like mine.

She nudged Jeanne up to the gate where two fauns stood guarding it.

"State your names and business," the one on the left said.

"We are Mara and Auriga Penvellyn, and we have recently been appointed jobs as a groom and library assistant, respectively," Mara told them. I nodded in agreement.

"Ah yes. We have been alerted of your arrival. Proceed," he said, stepping aside as the other faun opened the gate for us.

Inside the walls it was even more gorgeous. There were beautiful apple trees lining the pathway and creatures the likes of which I had never seen anywhere before: centaurs, fauns, dryads, naiads, you name it.

The castle itself was made out of gorgeous white stone and was built on top of a hill, overlooking the sea. There were so many towers and levels that I couldn't count them.

"Do you have any idea where we're supposed to go?" Mara asked me. I noticed that we had come to a stop in the bustle of the courtyard. Jeanne scraped the ground with her hoof impatiently.

"I suppose we should make our way to the main palace," I answered uncertainly. Mara shrugged and lead Jeanne forward.

There was a small path leading up the hill to the palace. It made me nervous being so close to the place where the High King lived. I wondered if I would be able to meet him. I certainly hoped so.

It was utterly silent the whole way up to the castle. Mara looked straight at the road ahead, and I looked around me, observing the sights.

Finally we reached the giant, wooden door to the castle. Two more faun guards stood, but this time they let us in without having to confirm that we were supposed to be there.

We dismounted Jeanne and before we could say anything, a dryad appeared and curtsied to us. "Mara and Auriga? The new groom and librarians assistant?" Mara nodded, and the dryad grinned.

"Great. I am Lyra. I'm going to I'll get you two cleaned up, then show you around, give you a tour of the castle. After that , then take you to your jobs. Sound good?" she told us quickly, with a wide grin. Mara kissed Jeanne on the nose as she was led to the stables.

Instantly I felt self-conscious of my dirty, simple dress. Everyone inside was wearing gorgeous, brightly colored dresses and elegant, elaborate hairstyles. I knew Mara was feeling the same as I did. She patted her braid and smoothed the front of her dress.

Lyra led us through a few narrow hallways, up a few flights of stairs and into a small room with two beds, a rug on the stone floor and a wardrobe on the opposite wall.

"This will be where you're staying," she said. "Let me just get some hot water going for your baths, and I'll be right back," she said, scurrying out of the room leaving me alone with Mara.

I sat down on the bed. There was silence. Mara walked over to the window and looked out. She smiled, and turned to me.

"You can see the horses from here," she said. I craned my neck to look out. Indeed, there was a large field that our room overlooked filled with grand, beautiful looking horses. I may not appreciate them as much as Mara does, but horses truly are gorgeous animals.

Mara was so lucky. She got to do something she truly loved for her job. As for me? I was going to have to sit in a stuffy library all day... although, it was better than marrying off to some man I didn't even know. That was probably the only reason I took this job. Well, okay, that and seeing Cair Paravel and royalty.

I knew Mara thought me strange for not wanting to marry any of the men that had asked me. She was probably a little resentful as well. The thing was, I didn't think I was ready to be married. I wasn't ready to leave my father or grow up or have a family or any of those things. I barely even knew myself. I knew I was probably being selfish, but I just couldn't bear the thought of it.

I had always envied Mara for her confidence. The way she acted when we came into the castle, so confident and put together...Had I been the one to talk, I would be stuttering, staring, and generally making a fool of myself. I hate to say it, but I was really, really jealous of her. She knew exactly what she wanted, and she would do whatever it took to get it. I didn't even know what I wanted, let alone being able to pursue it. And I was the one who was getting the proposals!

I sighed and laid back on the pillow. Hopefully I would grow more confident in my stay at Cair Paravel. Although I didn't know how sorting books in a library would help much.


	3. Mara's Mistake

Chapter 3: Mara

After I had gotten cleaned up, I felt much better (and less self-conscious) than I had when I had got there. Now my hair was clean, I had a new outfit on, courtesy of the wardrobe in the corner, and I smelled decent.

Auriga had gotten a gorgeous new ice blue dress to wear, and of course, it looked perfect on her. Unfortunately, a fine dress like that wouldn't really be the prudent thing to wear around horses, so I had instead decided to wear a blue cotton shirt over breeches, and boots that were a little too small for me and pinched my feet. I tied my hair back into a bun to keep it out of my face, although a few stubborn hairs refused to cooperate so I just let them be.

After that, I decided that I would make my way down to the stables. Lyra returned from delivering Auriga to the library and she led me through more winding hallways and staircases than I could keep track of.

"Oh dear," I moaned. "Do you think I'll _ever _learn to find my way around?" I asked Lyra.

She grinned. "I'm sure you will eventually. All right, I think you can take it from here. Just go outside through those doors and follow the path. You'll get to the stables not long after. Good luck!" Lyra said, hurrying off to attend to someone else.

I pushed open the large wooden doors and walked out into the sunshine. It was a gorgeous day, perfect for riding: warm, but with a slight breeze. I walked quickly down the dirt path past the gardens and chicken coops. The workers there waved to me, sensing a kindred spirit among them. I could already tell I would immensely enjoy living in Cair Paravel.

Eventually I reached the stables, a collection of small buildings made out of a beautiful dark wood. Horses' heads peeked out over the tops of their stalls. Some whinnied in greeting, or said hello. Jeanne's stall was near the end of the stable block.

"Mara!" she said with a horsey grin. I sat on the top of the stall door to talk to her.

"So? What do you think?" she asked.

"I love it already," I responded truthfully. It was nice, clean and airy and all the horses had plenty of room and could access the pastures whenever they wanted.

"Much better than living under the tree in our yard, right?" I asked, scratching her behind the ears.

"I would agree with that statement," she said with a snort.

Just then I heard footsteps behind me. I slid off the stall door to greet whoever it was. It was a young man, about my age, with sandy blond hair and dressed much in the same manner as I was (how ironic).

"Hmm, I've never seen you around here before… you must be Finnen's niece," he said, referring to my uncle.

"Yes, indeed I am. My name is Mara. And you are…?" I asked.

He waved his hand. "That's not important. What is important is that I'm in a bit of a predicament and could really use your help," he said with an awkward grin.

"Of course, I'd be happy to help, although I don't know if I could help any more than the next person," I said, following the young man back up the stable block.

"Well, it seems as if all of the other grooms have more important things to do than to tend to the stables, but what these things are seems to elude me," he said with a chuckle.

Finally we reached a door and the man opened it. Inside I found the tack room, where all of the riding equipment was stored.

"What do you need help with in here?" I asked, puzzled. He blushed and pointed under a counter. "A buckle has fallen off my saddle, and… I wondered if you could help me… reach it. My hand doesn't fit under there," he said smiling sheepishly.

I laughed. "That's all you needed? Certainly, I'll try." I bent down, slid my hand under the counter and closed my hand around a small silver buckle. I straightened up and placed it in his hand with a sardonic smile. "Well that was _extremely _difficult."

"I'm sorry to trouble you, young lady," he said, returning the smile and turning back to the stable block.

"I still don't know your name, you realize." I called to him as he walked away. He turned around.

"It's Peter."

"Peter? How coincidental, you have the same name as…"

Oh.

My.

God.

"Oh dear. Your majesty… highness… High King… terribly sorry... oh dear," I rambled nervously. How was I supposed to curtsy while wearing breeches. I nervously brushed the stray hairs out of my eyes and inhaled deeply.

He sighed and rolled his eyes slightly.

"See? This is why I didn't want to tell you in the first place." He began walking away, then turned around and smiled. "I'll be seeing you later, Mara," he called.

I was completely and totally mortified.

I hurried back to Jeanne's stall and reported the events. She found them highly amusing, apparently, and wouldn't stop whinnying.

"Nice of you to laugh at this," I muttered darkly.

"I find a lot of things funny," she replied primly.


	4. Auriga's Encounter

Chapter 4: Auriga

Leaving Mara in our room, Lyra led me out into the insane labyrinth that was Cair Paravel. Luckily, the library was fairly close to our room, so I didn't think I'd have a problem getting there myself the next morning. The dryad left me at the door, and I thanked her and stepped inside.

The library itself was gorgeous. The ceiling was high, the rugs were elaborate, and the bookshelves were sleek and filled with an immense amount of large, dusty tomes. It smelled slightly dank and dusty, but it wasn't that overpowering and I hoped that I would eventually get used to it.

The librarian of whom I would be assisting was an old woman by the name of Ganesa. She welcomed me, but not in a very warm way. After the showed me where everything was and how everything operated, she left me stranded in the middle of the library to tend to my own devices.

After a while of sitting at a table, wondering what to do, I decided to forget it and just read a book. I didn't really know what sort of book I was looking for, so I simply grabbed the first one I saw off the shelf. Incidentally, it turned out to be a very long and dense book about the history of Narnia.

I took it with me to a chair placed beneath a window, tucked the skirts of my dress underneath me and began to read it. Pretty soon I sensed that my mind wasn't really taking in any of the words, so I sighed and closed it. After that, I simply sat in the chair and stared at the ceiling, letting the sun from the window warm me.

I must have gotten a tad bit drowsy, because soon after I was awoken from my half-awake state by a voice in front of me.

"That's a very interesting read you've got there," it said. My eyes fluttered open and I saw a dark haired young man standing in front of me.

Instantly I knew that this could be none other than King Edmund. I recognized royalty when I saw them, although, to be honest, this was the first royalty I had ever seen. But this young man just had that sort of elegant, kingly air about him. (Okay, the thin gold circlet _might _have helped.) I also sensed a sort of mischief about him from the way he was grinning.

I hastily got up and curtsied respectfully. "Your majesty!"

Edmund bowed slightly. "What are you doing here?" he asked me, sounding slightly curious.

"I'm the new librarian's assistant."

"Hmm. So what's with the book?" he asked, gesturing towards it.

"Oh, I'm not really reading it... Your Majesty," I hastily added, picking up the book.

"I see. So you're using it as a prop, then?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Well, I was reading it... but I stopped... I'm terribly sorry to bother you," I said, lifting up the book and moving to put it back on the shelf, looking to escape from the extremely awkward conversation.

Except there was one problem... I couldn't exactly remember where it went.

Meanwhile, the King had moved on to perusing some more books over a little ways away from me. I looked around the library, trying to remember where I had gotten the book from. I felt incredibly stupid just standing in the middle of the floor with a giant book in my hands.

Just then I heard soft chuckling coming from behind me. I whirled around to see the King laughing at me, trying to stifle it, but failing miserably. If he had been anyone else, I would have said something, but instead I just sighed and tried to stick the book on a random shelf inconspicuously.

King Edmund regained his composure. "I'm sorry for laughing at you. And by the way, that book doesn't go there," he told me with a totally straight face. I pursed my lips in annoyance.

"Could you tell me where it does go then, please?" I said, trying to sound as polite as possible, but I still think he heard the tension in my voice.

He took the book from my hands and placed in a bookshelf right behind me with a giant gap in between two of the books. He grinned wryly.

That made me feel _really _stupid.

"Thank you," I said with a mental eyeroll.

"Quite welcome. Not much of a librarian's assistant, are you? Ganesa is in the middle of a huge shipment of scrolls from the south and you're sitting here and reading a book," he said, raising one eyebrow.

Now, really. I knew he was a king and all, and I was in a much lower social position than he was, but this was really too much. I frowned.

He must have noticed. "Not to be rude," he hurriedly amended. "I just meant, since you're new, that you haven't had much experience yet, and so she might not want you to destroy her beloved books... or something," he finished lamely.

"Well I'm _terribly _sorry to have bothered you," I said, curtsied hastily then dashed away, mumbling something about helping Ganesa.

Well that was an interesting interaction. I had a feeling that I would like High King Peter much better, that is, if I ever got to meet him. As for Edmund? Well... let's just say I was hoping he wouldn't come to the library often.

Not because I didn't like him. Oh no. He seemed very... charming.

Mainly because he made me feel like an idiot.


	5. Mara Falls

**Author's Note: Yes, this is the first of those nifty little things! Capella here, by the way. So...to report...I'm working on the next chapter, and I'll try to finish it within the next couple of days. Please please please, review review review, we will love you forever! Thanks to those of you who have. Ciao!**

Chapter 5: Mara

At the end of the day I sighed as I walked out of the stables and back to the palace. I hadn't noticed the lateness while I was working, but now the darkness of the night sky surrounded me and a few early stars twinkled overhead. I was tired, sore, and probably very smelly, but I ignored those things and instead let the silence of the evening wash over me. As I walked, I absentmindedly hummed a song that my mother had sung to me many times, taking long strides and enjoying the feel of the breeze on my face. But then, a voice from behind me…

"Mara!"

"Ahh!" I shrieked. "What the-" I whirled around to discover that the source of the voice was gone.

"Mara, you're-" said the voice from behind me. I shrieked again and jumped—or rather fell—backwards onto something soft. It hit the ground with a thump and I laid on it, surprised and slightly frightened.

"Get off me," the voice mumbled.

"Why should I?" I asked crossly. "You did scare me, you know."

"It's not my fault you're so jumpy. Get off me, I command you." The air in which the last sentence was spoken was majestic, powerful, and not to be ignored. I jumped forwards and fell again—this time onto hard stone tiles. I rolled over, sharp pain shooting through my head.

"Oww…" I moaned. A hand reached out and touched my forehead.

"Oh Mara, I'm very sorry. You're bleeding. Nothing too bad though, thankfully, otherwise I might never forgive myself." The voice had suddenly become very familiar.

"King Peter? I mean, your majesty, high king, sir… eep!" I had no clue what to say, and my head hurt, though his hands were very gentle. I had fallen on top of the High King, then fallen again. Needless to say, I wasn't having the best of moments, and I certainly had good reason to be "eep"-ing. I tried standing up, so I could bow or something, which was a bad, bad idea. My head swam and I sat down again with a thump.

"Here, I'll take you to our sick wing. Niala, one of the dryads, always patches up my minor cuts and scrapes, so I'm sure she'll help you."

"Look, you don't have to…well, I was about to say you don't have to do this, but it appears as if I have no choice. Your majesty," I mumbled as he grabbed my hand and led me over the stone tiles of the courtyard. "But you did make me fall. I scare easily, obviously. I'm sorry, am I talking too much?" I babbled. "Um, sorry. Your highness, High King Peter, sir, your majesty—" He squeezed my hand a bit and I stopped talking. Though it is very clichéd, I was extremely glad it was too dark for him to see my embarrassed flushing.

He murmured something, and said, "You're fine, don't worry. And since you seem to be confused, you can just call me King Peter, or Peter if it's just us." Just us…just us…the words rang in my head. Then I tripped again, on a broken piece of tile. Quickly he caught me before any more damage could befall me. Normally I was a very coordinated person, although it was dark. And it may have a _little _bit to do with who I was with, as well.

"Why are we walking in a stone courtyard?"

"This is the shortcut from the stables to the sick wing. A lot of people come back from tournaments and such hurt, so after they take care of their horses, they need a shorter way to the healers."

"But I was…walking this way before I… I... you know…" Fell on top of you, I finished in my head.

He chuckled, "I was going to comment on the fact that you were going the wrong way, but…after I surprised you. Sorry. I couldn't resist. You seemed so off in your own world, and sometimes Susan gets like that and I like to do that to her. You know, older brother thing. And you reminded me of her for a second. Actually, you are a bit like her. I mean, even though I haven't known you for a while, so I really can't compare—" His hold on my hand was getting tighter and tighter.

"Er, Peter?" I said softly, interrupting his talk. He seemed like me for a second, babbling away like a fool. "You've stopped walking."

"Ah…right," he said embarrassedly and began to stride forward quickly, so that I had to nearly run to keep up (as he was much taller than me). "Um…how's your head?"

"Pounding."

He sighed, as my head was beginning to spin and pound at the same time, if that was possible. Why, oh why did I have to run…

"We're here, Mara." I came to a sudden stop in a place full of brightness; the many people in front of me were blurring and the edges of my vision were black. "Mara?" Peter repeated as I began swaying back and forth. My legs began to fold as I closed my eyes…


	6. Auriga Can't Eat

**Author's Note: Second of those spiffy things! Hi all, this is Capella's second chapter. Next chapter will be Zoso's I believe. Sorry for the ultralong wait--Zoso and I were at camp. Thanks to those of you who have reviewed so far! Hint hint...we LOVE reviews...tell us what you like about this story! And dislike I suppose...well, here you go!**

Chapter 6: Auriga

Well, that dratted Edmund had been right. I finally found Ganesa in a slightly musty room with two tables and several chests overflowing with scrolls, lined up against the walls. This room was at the back of the library, as far away from where she left me as possible. Coincidence?

"Ganesa?" I asked hesitantly. She looked up and instantly glared.

"Don't you have a job to do? I thought I gave you something to keep you busy and out of my way."

"Um…you didn't actually tell me what I was supposed to do, you just told me how the library worked." She sighed and motioned for me to join her.

"Come here and sit down, girl. Now, listen. I know I don't look friendly, but as you can see, I'm not used to other people here, and certainly not young children. So I think I'll just lay out some rules…I know girls like you," she pinched my cheek and I squirmed uncomfortably, "seeing as my sister was one of them herself. Attracted all the boys—and men—in the village like flies. But here, this is a library. Peace and quiet is our rule in here. Therefore, I'll expect you to use your time in here wisely. Do as you are told, don't disturb the library guests, and come regularly and punctually. Is that understood?" I nodded, feeling a little disheartened. Why had I even said yes to this job in the first place? "Well, then, pull on these gloves—" she rummaged around in a bag next to her, then took out some black cloth gloves—" and help me start sorting these. These were just unearthed from the south and are very fragile, so I do not want you touching them with your oily, dirty fingers. The ones from the Pre-Winter era—don't look at me like that, girl, don't you know your history?" I had been gaping at her because she called my fingers oily and dirty, but she seemed to think I hadn't been educated at all. "When the White Witch came, she cast a spell over the land and made it winter for a hundred years."

"I am aware of that," I said quietly, "It was winter for most of my childhood."

"Then don't gawp at me, girl. Anyway, the ones from the Pre-Winter era will go on top of this desk, to our right, and the ones from during the Winter go to the other desk. Stack them neatly and be _very_ careful." She motioned to a pile of scrolls and didn't say any more.

The work was rather easy, as the scrolls from the Winter were all marked with the White Witch's seal on the outside. It was silent in the room except for the rustling of the paper and our footsteps when we got up to put scrolls on a table. Slowly, the flickering torches in the wall began to die out, and finally, after what seemed like days and days, we were done—or so I thought.

"Good girl," Ganesa said from over my shoulder, startling me. I whipped around from where I had been staring at the table and nearly hit her.

"Sorry," I said. My throat was dry and I coughed a couple of times.

"You did a good job. You were silent, you didn't fidget, and you didn't annoy me. It might actually be useful to have you here after all." I smiled slightly awkwardly, a little resentful, but gratified nonetheless. "And now, we extinguish these torches completely, and head to supper."

"How do you know it's suppertime?" I asked as she walked over to the first torch.

"When the torch is burned down this much," she remarked, "it's six thirty. I light these torches at the same time every day." I stared as she tapped the torch, and instantly all the torches around the room went out. "Come, girl, let's not stand in the dark all day," she said, and began to move towards the entrance to the room (there was no door), which was the only source of light.

"Can't you call me by my name?" I muttered as I followed her. She didn't appear to have heard my comment, though.

I found Lyra by the front of the library, reading. I tapped her on the shoulder and she turned around, smiling.

"Hello, are you all done? I'll take you back to your room, then!"

"Don't we have to go down to supper?" I asked.

"Wouldn't you like to change out of this dusty gown and get cleaned up a bit first?" she replied, frowning at me. I looked down at myself and cringed, biting my lip unhappily as my cheeks became hot. The beautiful new dress Lyra had given me was covered with dust from the floor.

"I'm so, so, sorry. I'll clean this up, I promise I will," I mumbled.

"Oh, not to worry!" Lyra said gaily, a smile replacing her frown. "There are many other gowns like this," she waved one hand dismissively and grabbed my hand with the other, leading me down the hall and past flickering torches. "I just wanted to make sure you were cleaned up for supper. Did you not know, supper in the hall is a formal affair?"

"Supper in the hall? There are different places to have dinner?" I felt like a complete idiot, that stereotypically clueless village girl who bumbled through Cair Paravel without any knowledge of the inhabitants' customs.

"Didn't _anyone_ mention this to you? Generally the hall is reserved for the kings and queens, of course, visiting royalty or important people from other lands, close friends of the kings and queens, and some of the main people at the palace—Ganesa used to be one of them when she was younger, but now she's gotten a bit old and prefers to take supper in her room. It must be for the same reason that the library is dusty—she used to keep it spotless. Oh and by the way, don't let our people-talk confuse you. "People at the palace", or people for short, refers to those who are termed servants in less _civilized_ countries. Here, our worth is recognized. Sorry, I went off on a tangent. I've heard such stories—oh dear, what _was_ I talking about?" She strode off down the hall as I followed somewhat bewilderedly.

"Lyra?" I stopped and tugged on her hand.

"Hmm?" she said, whirling around. I ducked as her long blue-white hair swung around with her.

"You just walked by my room." I gave a small smile and continued, "You were talking about supper in the hall."

Lyra blushed and sank into a deep curtsy. "Sorry," she muttered. "I do get like that sometimes. It's why I was assigned to help you guys. Not that I don't love you already," she added hastily, "it's just that this isn't considered the highest job available at the palace."

"It's okay," I said, grinning, "But can I go back to my room now?"

"Yes, I had better go and get Mara now." I turned around and walked back to my room, dust rising out of my gown at every step. "Oh, and one more thing…just leave your dress on the bed, I'll clean it myself." I put my hand on the wooden doorknob and entered the room. Sighing, I took off the dress and laid it on the bed, picking out a deep purple one to wear instead. After changing, with some muffled cries of annoyance as I struggled to get it on properly, I left the room and began the long search for the great hall.

After wandering around the palace, through long hallways and past stone statues, and asking several people who looked rather more familiar with the huge place, I finally entered the hall through a side door.

Gazing around the place, I felt extremely glad that I had had the sense not to attempt to enter through the main door. That door was huge, and the people who entered through it seemed like very important people, as they were actually being announced by fanfares and a stuffy looking old man with a huge scroll. The hall itself was big enough to fit my entire village easily, and the sweeping tapestries that covered the walls depicted events from the battles in which the four rulers had taken part in. The cutlery at each plate was gold, and the people themselves were dressed in extravagant dresses that made my purple dress look like a sack. I looked around for a place to sit, but there were long tables everywhere, and none seemed right for a 'person at the palace' like me.

"Miss," a voice spoke near my elbow and I jumped. I looked down and saw a black haired and bearded dwarf frowning up at me. "Do you have an invitation?"

"Um…" I said anxiously. The hugeness and elaborateness of this place was making me feel slightly light headed (I know, I know, I'm an overly delicate maiden and a bit of a wimp. What can I say?). "Lyra told me I was supposed to eat here today?"

"Ah, you're one of us, aren't you? Come," he said in a slightly less gruff voice, turning around. I followed him along the side of the hall. He led me over to a short table half hidden in the shadows. "Eat here." With that, he left me, hurrying away to the entrance—the main one, that is. I looked at the small table, noticing the golden cutlery even there. I took a seat as much in the corner as possible so that I sat mostly in shadows.

"Where's Mara?" I wondered aloud.

"Your food," came the soft reply. A dwarf stood in front of me, holding a plate of food. He set it down, bowed, and left.

"Ugh…" I murmured, nearly banging my head on the table as I slumped. "I don't want to be here." I took a little of the bread and soup, feeling queasy. After stirring it around with my fork I gave up. I wish Mara were here, I thought, mentally screaming. Why wasn't she here? She'd know how to deal with this. She'd probably be confident even in here. It's just too much. I looked around at all of the royalty, foreign visitors, fashionable clothes and expensive jewelry. Suddenly I felt a strange heat wash over me, and I knew someone was looking at me. I turned my head in the direction I thought the person might be…and saw the High Table.

Two sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve, humans from another land who saved all of Narnia, sat there. It was my first glimpse of Susan, Lucy, and Peter. They seemed friendly enough with each other, but then, they were with their siblings. I wondered how they acted with people of lower status. Peter was probably much more noble and kingly than Edmund was. Then my gaze landed on Edmund. He was quiet, staring at his goblet thoughtfully. Then he looked up…directly at me.

I flinched slightly, feeling characteristically vulnerable in front of his piercing gaze. But I began to feel a little annoyed as his gaze did not waver. Standing up, I glared at him and stepped over the bench I had sat on. Then I turned around and walked slowly towards the door, resisting the temptation to look back and see if he was still staring at me.

Outside, I stopped, breathing deeply in the fresh air. Well, okay, so it wasn't much different from the air inside, but here in the empty corridor it was less…stifling.

"Auriga!" I turned around and saw Lyra hurrying towards me, looking harried. "I—"

"Where's Mara?" I snapped. I didn't really mean to snap, but I was worried and tense and feeling extremely vulnerable.

"I found her. She's in the infirmary! It's nothing serious, don't worry, but perhaps you'd like to visit her?"

"Of course!"

"Then follow me."


	7. Mara Wakes Up

Chapter Seven: Mara

I woke up to find myself in a small wooden bed with a scratchy wool blanket and a dim light shining from a lamp above my head. Then I remembered what had happened a few hours ago... and why I was here... and who I was with. I sat up and touched the cut on my forehead, which had now probably turned into a repulsive looking scab. I was mortified that I had fainted over such a ridiculous injury... if it could even be classified as an injury. I kicked the covers off my legs and stretched. I was stiff from my first day of work, not to mention from having to sleep in such an uncomfortable bed.

Just then there was a light knock on the door and Auriga strode in, a worried look on her face.

"Mara, what happened? Are you all right?" she asked worriedly. I scrunched up my nose.

"I'm completely fine. It's just a scratch. I just, er... blacked out a few hours ago from... fatigue, I suppose," I said, a little too breezily. "Did you eat dinner yet?" I asked, changing the subject.

Auriga's face darkened visibly. "I don't want to talk about it," she muttered.

"Sorry I asked," I said, bending down to look for my shoes so I could get out of the depressing room when there was another knock on the door. I groaned inwardly as the now all-too-familiar sandy blond head peeked through the doorway.

"Ah, you're awake," King Peter said. "How's your head?"

"It's fine, totally and completely fine, it's not a big deal at all," I said, pushing my bangs aside to show him my forehead. "See? Fine. Just a scab. Fine."

"Yes, fine," he said, the corners of his mouth twitching as he tried to stop himself from smiling. "I'm still very sorry for all the trouble. I hope-"

Auriga let out a squeal and started swaying in place. Her eyes closed and she began to droop, and Peter leaped over to catch her before she hit her head on the stone floor like I had done. She came to a second later, still in Peter's arms.

"Oh dear, I- ohhhhh..." she trailed off as she saw whose arms were around her. I sighed huffily.

"Don't you have a knack for saving damsels in distress. She faints at the sight of blood," I remarked dryly and turned away, resuming the search for my shoes, which I had kicked under the bed accidentally. I wondered why Auriga wasn't making a move to right herself.

"Erm... Niala?" King Peter called.

"What is it _this _time?" a grumpy voice said. I heard footsteps approaching and a slight groan from Auriga as Niala set her down in the bed next to the one that I had been sleeping in. "Honestly, I don't know what has come over you young girls lately," she muttered as she walked away.

Finally getting a hold of my left shoe, and assuming that Peter had left, I straightened up, only to find that Peter was not only still in the room, but bent over the half-comatose form of Auriga.

"Thank you," she said softly, blinking slowly. I knew she probably wasn't doing it on purpose, but it still annoyed me to no end.

"You are quite welcome. I don't believe we've met before," the King responded warmly.

"My name is Auriga, your majesty," she responded, then let out another groan and her eyes fluttered closed.

"I suppose this is my fault, isn't it, your majesty," I said, too embarrassed to call him Peter, even though it was 'just us'.

"Certainly not," he said hurriedly. "Do you know her?"

"She's my cousin... Finnen's daughter," I responded stonily.

"Ah," Peter said, looking as if he was trying to think of what to say. Obviously nothing came to mind, as his next words were, "Good day, Mara." And with that, he left the infirmary, leaving me alone with a still-dazed Auriga.

--

The day after my... incident, let's call it, it was back to work at the crack of dawn, unfortunately. Since I hadn't had much time to work yesterday, the current stablemaster filled me in on my duties. For now, I would only be working in the mornings, thank goodness. I had had more than enough of late night 'incidents' after work.

First off, I had to muck out the stalls... if you are fortunate enough to not know what this is, I don't think you'll want me to tell you. It's not so much the, er, refuse that makes this a horrible job, it's just extremely strenuous on the back. Once I was finished with that, the fun part of my job came: exercising the horses. Since there were so many horses here, it was important that they all got ridden regularly to stretch their legs and whatnot. I rode each horse for about twenty minutes, and fortunately most of them were decent conversational companions. After that I cleaned the tack and gave all the horses new hay (more back breaking work!). This took up most of the morning, and after that I filled up the time with talking to Jeanne until lunch time, at which I was granted a break and began to head back to the castle.

Once I had reached my room (I was finally beginning to find my way around), I was surprised to find Auriga there as well.

"Break?" she asked. I nodded. "Any idea where one is supposed to go to eat lunch in this place? I'm terribly hungry, as I-erm, never mind," she ended, shaking her head a little. I decided not to ask.

I went behind the screen to change into my dress. "So..." I began, a bit hesitantly. "You've met High King Peter too, then?" I asked, forming it as a question... a rather stupid question at that, as I was there when she met him, but it was a way to start the conversation.

Auriga responded, "Yes, I suppose I have." I could practically hear the blush in her voice. I hoped she couldn't hear it in my voice either.

"He's very... er..."

"Handsome," Auriga said, at the same time that I finished with, "Interesting."

Handsome? Now this was really too much. I stepped out from behind the screen and raised my eyebrow at Auriga.

She reddened visibly. "Well, not like I'd ever have a chance with him, you know, he's the king and all, and I don't even like him that much, well, I'm sure he's a very nice person. Well, yes, of _course_ he's a nice person, he's, you know, magnificent and all, and… oh, bother." Her brows furrowed. "He is rather interesting, I suppose."

I frowned. "Yes," I said with gritted teeth. "Interesting."

I stalked out of the room, leaving Auriga still blushing and grinning to herself.


	8. Auriga Cleans

**A/N: Hi there, this is Auriga's chapter! Thanks all of you who have reviewed so far. To Miss Paparella, who so lovingly pointed out that these girls are too hung up on the 'your highness' and curtseying thing--we've tried to keep that in mind in this chapter, tell us if it was better! I think those of you who are worried about Auriga/Peter should enjoy the scene in the library...hehehe. As usual, review review review please! Ta--Capella.**

Chapter 8: Auriga

"Good job, girl, now off to supper you go," said Ganesa as she surveyed the room. I had finally finished doing the task she had assigned me—sorting all of the Winter era scrolls by date written, stamping them with the four rulers' seal, and placing them in new shelves designed specifically for these shelves. I nodded to Ganesa and left the room as she extinguished the lights.

This time, Lyra wasn't at the front of the library, waiting for me, but I was pretty sure I knew my way back to our room anyway. I turned around and looked back at the library. It is really dusty, I realized, way too dirty. That couldn't be good for the books…and I bet that's why no one ever came there but Ganesa and I.

I came out into the hall and turned right. I strolled past the yellow torches and intermittent wooden doors, taking as many little details in as possible. _This is going to be 'home' now_, I realized, remembering a snug cottage where Papa—and Mama—lived. I've exchanged green grass for stone floors, for months at least. I did my best to blink away the liquid in my eyes as I opened the door to my room, but couldn't erase the regret that had suddenly appeared.

"Auriga?" Mara's face appeared next to a torch she was holding. "Sorry, I only just got in. Let me light the other torches." She began lighting them as I wandered over to my bed and sat down.

"How was your day?" I asked. Mara turned around.

"Why did your voice tremble just now?" she questioned. "And why are your eyes puffy?" She raised one eyebrow.

"It's—nothing. I just remembered home, that's all."

"Cheer up, Auriga. We're not going to be going back for a long, long time, so don't get homesick after we've only been here for two days." She sat down on her bed with a thump and a sigh.

"That's…um…great advice, Mara. I feel so much better now," I said. "So where do we go to have supper?" Mara pointed to the table. There was one plate with a good amount of food on it and one plate with only the traces of having once bore food.

"Lyra said that now we have supper in our room; one of us people comes to bring it every night, plus all the other meals, although the kitchen is always open to us for a snack. By the way, how _was_ supper in the hall?"

"Awful," I groaned, sitting down and daintily picking up my fork and knife. "Between the fashion," I stopped to chew the food I had just put in my mouth, "the jewelry," I speared a carrot on my fork rather savagely, "and his eyes, I didn't get one bite of food. And I haven't had breakfast or dinner. I'm _ravenous_. Thank _Aslan _he wasn't in the library today. I probably would've—stabbed him with a scroll or something."

Mara raised her eyebrows and replied with some bitterness, the source of which I didn't know, "You? Stab him with a scroll? You fainted—into _his_ arms, coincidentally—at the sight of my scab."

I grinned and tossed my hair over my shoulder. "Of course I would have offered him my handkerchief afterwards, to clean up all the blood." Then I paused, the fork in my mouth probably the source of Mara's stifled laughter. I delicately retrieved the fork and set it on the plate. "Did you say fainted _in his arms_?"

"Of course," said Mara rather bitterly. "You _are_ talking about the 'handsome' high king, are you not?"

"No," I said, rather puzzled. "I was talking about King Edmund, of course. Why would I be talking about King Peter, though he is, of course, _very_ handsome…" I trailed off, blushing, regaining my initiative to speak several moments later. "King Edmund has been irritating me since…since the moment he was born, in all probability! He—he makes me feel like—like an idiot! And and," the words coming out in a rush as I ranted, "he completely aggravated me at supper in the hall! Staring at me! Those _eyes_, I tell you!!"

"Whoa…" said Mara slowly, "hold those horses, now. You've met King Edmund?"

"Yes, didn't you know?" I asked, puzzled again. She shook her head, so I launched into an explanation of our interactions so far. "And so that ridiculously piercing gaze, coupled with all else, kept me from even taking one bite of supper yesterday. But," I said hurriedly, seeing through the tiny arched window that the sun was setting, "I'm afraid I must leave. I'll be back in a—well, probably a long while, but I'll be back by midnight at latest."

Mara stared at me and raised one eyebrow. "So you've already made a—_conquest_, then?" she inquired delicately and slightly distastefully.

I stared back, startled. "What? Oh, _no_, heavens no! I'm going to see if I can clean the library a bit. Or start on it. Anyway, I'll be back in a while. Bye," I said, taking a torch off of the wall and opening the door.

"Good luck," Mara called after me. I nodded and left.

So, I thought as I started towards the library, Ganesa told me she stays in rooms adjoining the library. She didn't exactly tell me I could come to her if I needed help, but I'll just have to assume that she meant it. After all, where else do I go in this dratted labyrinth of a castle?

The narrow stone halls and flickering torches of the corridor were eerier now that there wasn't faint light coming through the tiny windows. I hurried along as quickly as possible without actually running, not enjoying this nighttime walk through the—"EEK!" I screamed and stopped, petrified.

"Aah!" came the reply. I raised my torch.

"Lyra?" I asked, confused.

"Ah…yes, hello, Auriga. What are you doing?" Lyra asked, breathless and sounding rather frazzled.

"I was going to the library. Are you coming from there?" I asked, rather more calmly.

"Yes…yes. I was just looking…looking at a scroll. Good bye," she said, rather flustered, and hurried off in the other direction. Well, that was strange, I thought, I suppose she's anxious to get to bed or something…

Shaking my head slightly (a proper lady _never_ shrugs, according to the Handbook of the Well Bred Lady) I continued towards the library.

Finally I crept beneath the pointed arch that was the entrance to the library and towards the left end of library, where Ganesa had said her rooms were. After tiptoeing past seemingly endless bookcases and stained glass windows high above my head, I finally reached the wall. In front of me was a wooden door with a nameplate on it—"Ganesa, Head Librarian." I raised my free hand, hesitated, and then knocked. Almost immediately, the door opened and Ganesa's face popped—well, not really, she was old after all—out.

"Girl?" she said, sounding quite surprised. She had reason to be, of course. "What are you doing here?"

"I…" I felt slightly apprehensive, as I knew what I was about to ask was rather odd, so I tried to say it as fast as I could. "Iwannacleanthelibrary."

"Really?" she asked, sounding even more surprised.

"Er, yes," I replied, unfortunately aware that I was blushing. "I—I want to, yes, um, clean the library." She raised her eyebrows and then opened the door wider.

"I'm not sure if you are either incredibly stupid or incredibly determined or both, but come in. I still have cleaning supplies, although I haven't been able to really clean for years." I quietly padded into a well lit, small room with a couch, cheery fire, and a table covered with stacks of papers. There were two doors in the wall across from me. As I shut the door, Ganesa crossed over to the door on the left and opened it to reveal a dark closet. "Here," she said brusquely, taking out a broom and a dustpan. "You can start with those, for now."

"Thanks," I said in a bright voice, taking them gratefully. "Where should I leave them when I'm done for the night?"

"Good heavens, don't bring them back here and wake me up from my well-deserved sleep!" she exclaimed, looking quite serious. "You may as well bring them back to your room; you're the one who will be using them. Don't go outside to dump the dustpan until morning—well hopefully, you have a _little_ more sense than that." I frowned slightly, feeling rather annoyed by her almost condescending tone. I nodded, turned around, and left the room.

I think I shall spare you all the description of sweeping, as, hopefully, most of you out there have experienced that wonder before. Unfortunately for me, the floor was covered in the dust of what seemed like eons, and the lighting was rather poor, as only a few torches were lit. However, I, being a bit of a perfectionist, swept every nook and cranny I could reach—startling and being startled by a few spiders here and there.

When I had swept the row of bookshelves nearest the side wall, I stopped and sat down for a minute, happily on the floor I had cleaned. When my eyes began to close of their own accord, however, I shook myself and got up. _Can't fall asleep in the middle of the library!_ scolded my dratted conscience. I got up and proceeded towards the place I had started sweeping, meaning to start another row; then I found, to my slight irritation, that there was a door in that wall. Confound this library, I thought, how huge does a castle library have to be? Shaking my head, I set the dustpan down on the side and opened the door.

This room was set up like Ganesa's, albeit with only one door and much nicer furnishings—a plush blue and silver rug beneath the desk, paintings on the walls with golden frames, etc. And the occupant sitting at the desk, looking to be in deep concentration as he read over some papers, just so happened to be…

"King Edmund?" I gasped out in surprise. He looked up, started, and jumped out of his seat.

"Auriga?" he said, in a matching tone. "What in the name of all Narnia are _you_ doing _here_?!"

"I—I—I'm cleaning th-the library?" I asked, stammering in embarrassment and blushing horribly. He just stared at me—honestly, I thought, I'm a little tired of people doing that! How is it strange to want to clean—okay well, maybe it is. Enough is enough, though!

"I'm serious, your highness, I'm cleaning the library. Starting with these ridiculously dusty floors. I hope you don't mind?" I added in a tone of mock politeness.

"Go and clean the library," he said, making a shoo-ing motion in the direction of the door. "This is my _private_ room. No one is ever allowed in here but _me_. Do you understand that?"

"Selfish, selfish, aren't we?" I said, shaking my finger at him. "Mine this, me that."

"_Auriga_…" he said, glaring. How I hated that gaze of his. I glared right back, tilting my nose up slightly in order to actually look straight into his eyes, as an almost nonexistent voice in my head wondered what I was getting myself into. "Fine. Do your cleaning. Just don't be too loud!" he snapped. I gave him my most dazzling smile in return.

"Don't worry, my dear king. I would never dare to disturb you like that," I replied, batting my eyelashes sweetly while cheering inside. He rolled his eyes and sat back down, looking back at his papers.

POV change to semi-omniscient third person

Auriga, however much she hated to admit it, knew that this was one of the most awkward parts of her life, when she remembered it afterwards. She started at the back of the room and swept the dust towards the door, but she couldn't avoid hitting the furniture once in a while, and she coughed from time to time because of all the dust; no matter how hard she tried to be quiet, she seemed to make even more noise the next second, and every time she glanced at Edmund his stern and concentrating expression seemingly had not wavered, making her feel even more awkward as she knew he must be unfortunately aware of her presence.

Meanwhile, Edmund was—not quite having the time of his life, but he was feeling surprisingly peaceful. Truth be told, he could hear every noise she made, but the only noises he actually _heard_ were her soft breathing, her sighs, her footsteps…strangely, however, he wasn't feeling too distracted—more like his head was perfectly clear and he could concentrate on his work easily, but without feeling the pressure of the silence that generally pervaded the room. He glanced at her from time to time, but she never seemed to be looking at him.

Unfortunately, Auriga had soon had enough. His very _presence_, though not disturbing her physically, was enough to mentally unbalance her, sadly. "Agh!" she burst out. Edmund's head snapped up to look at her.

"What?" he asked, with some confusion.

"It's…I…_you_!" she cried helplessly, wringing her hands and dropping the broom in the process. It fell with a clatter on the stone floor.

Edmund raised one eyebrow perfectly—a trick he was rather proud of, coincidentally. "_I_?" he asked politely. "Pray tell, Miss Penvellyn, what _I_ have done, here in the sanctity of my own private room, reading these documents?" His voice was perfectly correct and charming.

"You…you…just _argh_! You're so _aggravating_!" snapped Auriga, snatching her broom up.

"Would it be impolite, my good lady, to inquire as to _what_, exactly, I have done that…_aggravates_ you so much?" Edmund tilted his head a bit and looked at her calmly.

"You…me…oh, never mind!" Auriga said, sounding rather desperate. She stormed away and slammed the door rather violently behind her, leaving a large pile of dust in the middle of the floor.

Edmund, being of that imperfect species known as humans, could only laugh, and laugh, and laugh.


End file.
